Jennifer Moorman's Blog, page 7

Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

If you're looking for a 5-Star brownie, this is it! My Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Swirl Brownies are inspired by the 5-Star Acqualina Resort & Residences on the Beach ! The vibrant red cheesecake swirl highlights the gorgeous crimson that accents the Acqualina Resort & Spa on the beach.The Acqualina gifted their guests a copy of my magical realism novel ✨ THE BAKER’S MAN ✨! So while you treat yourself to a piece (or two!) of this dessert that will leave you feeling inspired and thankful, why not relax by the pool or on the beach as you follow the life of a small-town baker who creates a man out of dough and turns her life upside down!A waterfall of thank yous to the Acqualina Resort & Spa and Bedside Reading for believing in me and my novels enough to share them with the world ❤️Who’s ready for a brownie and a resort retreat that will change your life?

Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Swirl BrowniesServes: 16Ingredients8 ounces cream cheese, softened1 ¼ cups sugar, divided4 large eggs, room temperature and divided½ teaspoon peppermint extract20 drops of food coloring or red gel (optional)4 ounces 70% cacao dark chocolate, chopped¾ cup unsalted butter½ cup firmly packed brown sugar2 teaspoons vanilla extract1 teaspoon kosher salt½ cup all-purpose flour¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powderDirections1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese at medium speed until smooth and creamy, approximately 2 minutes. Add ¼ cup sugar, and beat at medium speed for 2–3 minutes.2. Add 1 egg and peppermint extract, and beat until smooth and well combined.3. Add food coloring, if using. Transfer cheesecake batter to a large bowl; set aside.4. Place chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.5. In a small saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, just until butter comes to a vigorous simmer. Immediately pour hot butter over chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes, and then whisk until smooth.6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.7. In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat brown sugar, vanilla, salt, remaining 1 cup of sugar, and remaining 3 eggs at high speed for exactly 10 minutes. It will look like a very thick batter.8. With mixer running, pour in slightly cooled chocolate mixture, and beat at medium speed until smooth.9. Butter (or use baking spray) an 8-inch square baking pan. Line pan with parchment paper, letting excess extend over sides of pan. Butter (or spray) parchment.10. In a small bowl, sift together flour and cocoa. Using a spatula, gently fold flour mixture into chocolate mixture just until combined.11. Pour half of the brownie batter in prepared pan, smoothing top with a spatula. Top with half of cheesecake batter. Repeat layers once. Using a small spatula or butter knife, gently swirl batters together to create a marbled effect.12. Bake until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45–50 minutes. Let cool completely in pan.13. The center of the brownies will seem slightly underbaked, but the brownies will continue to cook and set as they cool. Using excess parchment as handles, remove from pan, and cut into 16 brownies.Ready for your next adventure? Grab your copy of The Baker's Man today!

Magical Gingerbread Cake

Anyone who’s been to Mystic Water (and if you haven’t, book a flight, a car, a train, and get there immediately!) knows they take their seasons and holidays seriously. Meaning, they love having a good time, celebrating, laughing, and getting together for nearly any reason.

Christmas is one of the most celebrated seasons of the year in Mystic Water. Colorful, sparkling lights are hung on houses and strung through trees, they twinkle in the downtown park and outline North Pole characters and giant gift boxes. Children count down the seconds after sunset until the lights turn on, and then they squeal with delight and run around the displays.

Letters to Santa collect at the post office until they can be delivered to the jolly old man. The whole town smells like baked goods—iced sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, deep rich chocolate truffles, and the warm, cozy scent of gingerbread.

Bea’s Bakery creates a magical gingerbread cake that locals rush in for as soon as December arrives, and then they talk about the delicious slices for the rest of the year. The bakery likes to surprise customers with what gingerbread cookie will be sitting atop the cake for the day. This one was created just for the young at heart and those who still believe in the magic all around.

Magical Gingerbread Cake

Serves 12

Level of Difficulty: as easy as eating a half dozen gingerbread cookies straight out of the oven

Ingredients

For the cake:

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter












1 egg

1 cup molasses

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup hot water

For the cream cheese icing:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

8 oz brick-style cream cheese, softened

3–3.5 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1-2 tablespoons cream or milk, as needed

How to Make

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 8-inch (or smaller) circle pans. In a large bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg, and mix in the molasses. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Blend into the creamed mixture. Stir in the hot water. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan before serving.

For the cream cheese icing:

In a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and cream cheese until evenly combined. Mix in the vanilla extract and salt. Beat in the powdered sugar about ¼ cup at a time until the desired sweetness level is reached. Then beat in 1-2 tablespoons of cream as needed. If the mixture is thin, you may not need to add any cream. Frost the cooled cake. Then optionally decorate with gingerbread cookies and fresh rosemary.

Recipe inspired by ,The Baker's Man and the town of Mystic Water.

#cookingthroughfiction #recipe #thebakersman

Bûche de Noël (Yule Log)

It's That Time of Year!Yule logs are a tradition I didn't grow up with, but as part of a December baking challenge, I baked my first chocolate roll cake. Did you grow up baking yule logs? Have you ever eaten one?My Bûche De Noël (also called a Yule Log) is a first-time attempt for me on this classic holiday roll cake. It's inspired by the holiday, of course, and by my small-town baker, Anna, in my magical realism novel ,The Baker's Man!At her bakery in Mystic Water, Anna loves bringing people together with her baked goods because baked goods find our smiles and fill our hearts with joy. Even smelling a delicious cake baking in the oven makes us slow down, breathe deeper, and sigh.During the holiday season, Anna hosts a Bûche De Noël decorating party! I never turn down a decorating party in Mystic Water. But I kept the decorations simple this year.My chocolate roll cake is filled with Nutella mousse, coated in a thin layer of dark chocolate ganache, and covered with a milk chocolate bark. Adorned with fresh rosemary from the garden and red Skittles (hey, we use what we have, right?), this cutie is finished off with a dusting of confectioner's sugar.Bûche De Noël or Yule LogServes: 6–8Level of Difficulty: Medium-Difficult (only the rolling part)IngredientsFor the cake:4 eggs, yolks and whites separated1/2 cup sugar1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder1/3 cup cake flour1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules1 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon saltFor the filling:2 cup heavy whipping cream1 NutellaFor the frosting:6 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolate chips, approximately 3/4 cup1 1/2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter1 teaspoon instant coffee granules2/3 cup heavy cream1/2 teaspoon vanilla extractcranberries and rosemary for garnishingDirections Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet or jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Set aside. Drop the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk on high speed for approximately 2 to 3 minutes, until wet, soft peaks form. You want the whites to stay hanging on your whisk when they're held upside down, but you don't want them so stiff and dry like you would for a meringue (aim for softly curled tips). Set the whites aside. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until they're pale yellow. In a separate, smaller bowl, sift the cocoa powder, cake flour, coffee granules, baking powder, and salt together. Add these dry ingredients to the bowl containing the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk to combine (the batter will be thick and hard to mix, but this is okay! Do your best to mix everything together). Add in half of the egg whites, and use a rubber spatula to gently fold the whites into the batter. You don't have to be extra gentle at this point since you are merely trying to loosen up the batter with the egg whites. Now, add the remaining half of egg whites and, this time, be very gentle when folding the whites into the batter with your spatula; make light, long folds. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use your spatula to gently smooth out the batter. Don't tap the pan or move the pan side to side (you don't want to ruin the air bubbles you created with the whipped egg whites). Bake the cake for 6 to 7 minutes, or until the cake springs back when gently pressed by the tip of your finger. Don't overbake! Let the cake cool in the pan for 2 minutes, no longer! Meanwhile, prepare a kitchen towel by sprinkling powdered sugar all over it. Flip the cake out onto the towel and very gently peel the parchment paper off inch by inch. Grab one of the short sides of the cake and roll it toward the other short side, rolling the towel with it as you go. Let the cake remain in this rolled shape until it's completely cool. (Note: It’s important to do this while the cake is still warm as the cake is still flexible at this point and this prevents the cake from cracking or tearing as you roll it). Meanwhile, create the frosting by adding the chocolate chips, coffee granules, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract to a medium bowl. Heat the heavy cream over medium-low heat until it’s hot but not boiling (the edges should begin to simmer and steam should rise from the cream). Pour this hot cream over the chocolate and contents in the bowl, then use a spoon to stir the mixture together until it’s completely smooth. Cover the bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes, no longer! I used Nutella mousse to fill my roll, but this is where you can get creative! You can use buttercream (any flavor, like peppermint, coffee, vanilla, cherry, etc.). You can also use a marmalade. Your creativity has no limits. If using the Nutella mousse, whip the ingredients together until stiff peaks form (but do not overwhip or you'll get Nutella butter, yikes or yum?!), After the cake is completely cooled, gently unroll it, smear it with your filling of choice, leaving 1/4 inch around the side. It doesn't take much filling, so don't be tempted to overfill it or else the filling with squish out! Roll the filled cake gently. Don't worry if this one cracks because you'll be covering it in chocolate ganache. Cover with ganache, and decorate! I made milk chocolate bark and used confectioner's sugar!

Coming Soon! THE BAKER'S MAN!!!

Pre-Order HERE !

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Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

Hope Magazine is highlighting my Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes! Put away the canned sauce and give these a try. They are truly the best version of a childhood favorite!

Prep time only takes 15 minutes—rather than spending all evening in the kitchen, dinner can simmer in your slow cooker while you do what really matters: spend time with your family.

Head to Hope's website for the full recipe! Click HERE or the on the image above!

Punk Rock Pink Animal Pasta

Having fun with beet sauce and spaghetti noodles! Recognize this face? It's one of my favorite Muppets: Animal! Recipe from Disney Eats cookbook, which is full of fantastical and delicious recipes.

Check out this fun video montage of it all coming together! Shared also on my Instagram page HERE!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/ea0562_a8b6589e5272440ba3ec6bdc04ecec3e/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Baking Class with Jennifer Moorman

Join Me!Free Cooking ClassLivestream baking experience with recipes inspired by fiction. October 22 at 11 AM Eastern.

Join me for a whimsical time of cooking through fiction where our baking experience happens live via Zoom from my kitchen and yours!

On October 22 we'll be baking Savory Pumpkin Hand Pies and Caramel Apple Pie Bars, which are inspired by our favorite Halloween treats. Don't miss these spooktacular treats!

Once you've signed up, you’ll receive an email with all the class information, the recipe, and a detailed list of ingredients and the quantities you'll need to make this recipe at home.

Come enjoy a FREE and fun cooking class where you’ll not only smile and laugh but you’ll also have a delicious treat to share with loved ones!

Adults & children (with supervision) are welcome! No previous cooking experience required!

Pumpkin Hand Pies & Caramel Apple Pie Bars

“There is something at work in my soul, which I do not understand.”

Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

Let's Bake Together!

Chicken Pot Pie Hot Dish

STUBBORN Love

With a train ticket, a bad attitude, and an unfortunate scribbling of obscenities across her forehead, seventeen-year-old Avery Ross is sent from New York to the vast oil field region of North Dakota. When a hazel-eyed boy with a sultry Texan accent comes to her defense, Avery has no clue that his actions will lead her into a passion-charged summer, full of temptation and loss. Stubborn is book 1 in a 7-book series (with more books coming!).

https://youtube.com/watch?v=jF_5GfwsvMY

Jeanne Arnold's Stubborn inspired this Cooking Through Fiction Recipe. Spoon yourself out a healthy portion, settle in with this captivating young adult romance adventure, and enjoy!

Stubborn's Chicken Pot Pie Hot Dish

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter3 carrots, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces 1 large onion, finely chopped Kosher salt 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 cups whole milk 3 cups broth1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into 1/2-by-3/4-inch pieces 3/4 cup frozen peas 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme Freshly ground black pepper 1 1/2 pounds frozen tater tots

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add carrots, onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour until combined and then cook for 1 minute. Add half the milk and cook, whisking continuously, until thickened, about 5 minutes; repeat with the remaining milk. Stir in chicken broth and then add chicken, peas, thyme and a few turns of pepper. Simmer, stirring often, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, 10–15 minutes. Transfer mixture to an 8-by-11-inch baking dish and then cover with tater tots. Bake until the tots are golden brown; begin checking for doneness at 30 minutes.

Strawberry Popsicles

Strawberries are sweetest and ripest during the summer months. They are delicious fresh, but they also freeze well so that you can have them later in the year when strawberries are no longer in season.

These Strawberry Popsicles are featured in This Inspired Life Magazine and they are easy to make, and a skinny treat to beat the heat. Plus they only use 3 ingredients, and you can get creative with the ingredients!

This Inspired Life Magazine highlights a community of creatives who share their art, writings, crafts, recipes, and hearts. You’ll find these pages offer a wonderland of imagination, heart, and soul. The magazine’s mission is to inspire readers with stories of hope and encouragement and to spark the creative spirit in all of us.

Read an edition today and try this fun recipe!

Strawberry Popsicles

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 large ripe banana, peeled, cut into

chunks, & frozen

12 large strawberries, sliced in half

1/2 cup pineapple juice

Directions

Blend all of the ingredients together on high speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the blender as needed as you go. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds. Freeze overnight. Run popsicle molds under warm water to easily remove.

Exciting News — Cover Reveal!

I'm super excited to not only share with you this gorgeous new cover but also to reveal that @harpermusebooks is releasing THE BAKER'S MAN! 

For everyone who fell in love with this story, you don't want to miss this new revised edition. The Baker's Man has received a significant editorial refresh (and a beautiful new cover). Plus it has an additional 20,000 words!!! 

The Baker's Man is what might happen if The Great British Baking Show and Gilmore Girls were tossed into a mixer and baked into a delicious story. This enchanting and whimsical tale of friendship, love, and the power of baking dreams into life will open readers’ eyes to the magic all around them. 

Some dreams require a little magic! On sale February 2023 — pre-order NOW! 

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/ea0562_6afd3c772d964b7ab3e617fcb23ada05/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Summer Fruit Flag Pie

A Summer Beauty!

This SUMMER FRUIT FLAG PIE is inspired by my love of summer fruit and my birthday (July 4). If you're looking for a fun pie to try this summer, look no further. The decorations are easy to make but yield fantastic results! Don't miss the video for extra insight into how this is made.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/ea0562_284d7baddda149e8beb64fb7deb4f0f7/1080p/mp4/file.mp4,Summer Fruit Flag Pie

Prep Time: 3 hours

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Total Time: 7 hours

Yield: 8–10 servings

Ingredients

Homemade or store-bought pie crust (enough for 2 9-inch pies)

½ cup granulated sugar, plus more if needed to sweeten blackberries/blueberry mixture

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 cup blueberries

1 cup blackberries

2 cups chopped strawberries

2 cups halved dark sweet cherries

2 teaspoons lemon juice, divided

½ teaspoon almond extract, divided

egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk

optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling on crust

tools: tinfoil

Instructions

1. Make the filling: In a small bowl, stir the granulated sugar and cornstarch together. In a medium bowl, combine the blueberries and blackberries together. In a large bowl, combine the strawberries and cherries together. Stir ¼ cup of cornstarch mixture into blueberries/blackberries. Stir remaining cornstarch mixture into strawberries/cherries. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon of almond extract to each fruit mixture. Place in the refrigerator for a few moments as you roll out the crust.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F.

3. Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the pie crusts (if using homemade dough). Store-bought dough is normally already rolled out. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish.

4. Fold the aluminum foil several times to form a 2-inch wide strip. Place into crust, dividing it into 1/3 and 2/3 sections as seen in video.

5. Spoon strawberry filling into large section, leaving any excess liquid in the bowl. Spoon blueberry filling into smaller section. Discard the excess liquid. Place the pie in the refrigerator until top design is ready.

6. Design the flag: Roll the second pie crust into a circle that is about 12 inches. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut 4 strips that are 2 inches wide and 6 inches long. Using your star cookie cutter, cut out stars.

7. Remove the pie from the refrigerator, remove aluminum foil strip, and add top decor to pie. Stars over the blueberries; strips over the strawberries. Trim off excess dough on the sides. Crimp the edges with a fork or flute the edges.

8. Lightly brush the pie crust with the egg wash mixture. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.

9. Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Check for browning on top, and if needed, cover with a pie shield or tinfoil to prevent overbrowning the edges or designs. Bake for an additional 30-35 minutes.

10. Allow the pie to cool for 3 full hours at room temperature before serving. This allows the filling to thicken. Cover leftovers, and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.